8 School Supplies That Every Family Needs

1. Paper Products

Even though schools are creating a lot more online curriculum content, you will find that your child is still cycling through a ton of paper. Be sure to keep a large stock of loose leaf lined paper in college rule as well as wide. Each year different teachers require different grades of paper, so it’s best to have both grades handy. It is also in your best interest to include graph paper or a graph paper notebook in your paper supply as well. Graph paper is a game changer when it comes to keeping your child’s math work organized and legible. Plus, if you own a copier - you can just copy more graph paper when your supply is running low. Notebooks will also come in handy, so make sure to buy these items in bulk. However, do not waste your money on multi-subject notebooks! By the time your kid fills seventy pages of his or her notebook, you can bet money it will be tattered and needing replacement anyway. Instead, it is a good idea to buy several one subject notebooks in an arrangement of colors, so that each notebook color can be dedicated to each academic subject. Don’t forget to check the grade of notebook paper you are buying!

2. Organizational Items

Your child will come home with loads and loads of papers, worksheets, and workbooks. It is paramount to keep them all in an organized manner so that you and your child make keep track of it all. This is where the utilization of folders/binders come in! Be sure to search for a sturdy folder/binder large enough to hold all of your child’s schoolwork. Purchasing an additional accordion style folder is not a bad idea either. It can hold your child’s older schoolwork as it needs to be recycled out of their folder. This qualifies for work your child does not need to carry around any more but may want to study from later. An academic planner can be a great way to keep your child’s schoolwork organized as well. Academic planners are perfect for scheduling homework time, projects, and extracurricular activities! Your child’s school may sell specific planners per grade, so make school to check out the school’s book store first. Lastly, we can not forget about storage boxes and pencil cases! Pencils are the first items to be misplaced or stolen. It is crucial to keep all pencils and pens together in one designated space.

3.Writing Utensils

It can not be stressed enough that pens and pencils need to be purchased in bulk. This is the number one item to be lost first, so it is in your best interest to purchase a large stock the first time around. It is also smart to double check the kind of pens and pencils that your child is allowed to use. Rules for pens typically error towards only purchasing red, blue and/or black. Rules for pencils typically error towards only purchasing mechanical unless otherwise stated. Extra erasers as well as pencil sharpeners are a great addition to your writing utensil collection as well. Depending on your child’s grade you may need to additionally purchase crayons, colored pencils, markers, and highlighters. Make sure to buy the medium packs of each as the large packs may not fit in your child’s backpack and the small packs may not come with enough colors.

4. Backpacks

Each and every year your child may want a new backpack but they definitely do not need a new backpack. It is in your best interest to purchase one, sturdy, monogram backpack that can be washed and recycled throughout many school years. Reusing items from previous school years saves you time and money.

5. Lunch Boxes

Lunch boxes are truly a hit or miss when it comes to recycling. At the end of the year you may want to replace your child’s lunch box or you may not - it just depends on the boxes durability. Thus, it is worth your money to purchase a quality lunch box to ensure it lasts and keeps your child’s lunch fresh at all times.

6. Learning Aids

Rulers, Scissors, and/or Protractors are necessary instruments to keep in every child’s academic arsenal. Rulers typically need to meet both inches and centimeter requirements. Safety scissors are the only scissors allowed in most schools, so double check your school's guidelines. It is also in your best interest to purchase two sets of scissors. One set can be taken to school and the other set should be left at home. Lastly, as your child begins to step into the world of upper grade math, like geometry, a protractor will be necessary to have at home. If your school does not provide in class protractors than make sure to purchase two.

7. School Clothes/Uniforms

Your child is growing fast, especially during the summer. Thus, you will bear the burden of buying new clothes for your child each and every year. However, it is a good idea to have your children try on their older clothes from last year to see what still fits before buying them an entirely new wardrobe. Keep in mind that many items, like school uniforms, can be passed down from older siblings to younger.

8. Technology

Before purchasing these big ticket items, it is best to first check your school's rules and requirements as to whether or not they are needed and/or desired. For starters, prior to purchasing a calculator, make sure they are allowed in your child’s classroom. Middle school grade students and above are typically required to have them but make sure it is the right kind before you pull the trigger. Some students may need a graphing calculator while others may need a texas instrument. USB and/or Flash drives also may be on your child’s list of school supplies. Flash drives are a good idea to have on hand regardless as you are able to save your child’s work in an organised manner for easy access the next time the project or worksheet is needed. Just be sure to attach it to a string or lanyard if your child has to transport it between home and school. USB and Flash drives are very small and can be lost easily. A tablet or laptop may also be a necessary item for your student as schools are leaning towards less paper and more cyber work. If your child does need a tablet or laptop make sure to buy extra protection for traveling to and from school.

How to Save on School Supplies When You Have Several Kids

The cost of school supplies is increasing each year so many families, especially those with several children are looking for ways to cut costs when they shop for back to school items. The strategies below will help you minimize your expenses when you are preparing for the next school year.

1. Reuse School Supplies From The Previous Year.

Instead of throwing away everything left at the end of the school year, just store all the stuff in a box. Before you start writing the list of school supplies you will need to purchase for the coming year, examine the items in the box to see what can be reused.

2. Hand Down Items From Older to Younger Children.

Anything that is left in good condition can be handed down from older to younger kids.

3. Purchase New Items That are Durable.

If you plan to hand items down from one child to another, consider purchasing quality products that are going to last long.

4. Leave The Kids at Home When You Shop for Supplies.

It goes without saying that children will want to choose some things like backpacks, and they would be happy to be able to select items they like most. But bringing all the kids to shop for all school supplies can become a real nightmare, plus you will end up purchasing more expensive items you initially planned. So consider taking kids to shop for some key items which are really important to them and buy the rest by yourself.

5. Use Stickers to Decorate School Supplies.

All kids want their items to be special and stylish. Instead of splurging on expensive products with popular cartoon or movie characters on them you can purchase some plain items and get the kids to personalize them with stickers of their choice.

6. Buy in Bulk.

Consider purchasing school supplies in bulk during the back to school sales. In early September most stores offer deep discounts on school supplies as they are clearing their shelves for new seasonal merchandise.